The King's Jockey

The Suffragette Derby of 1913 involved the sacrifice of a woman’s life for her cause, but what of the man who feels responsible for killing her?

The life of the King’s jockey is changed forever by his dramatic encounter with a woman prepared to sacrifice everything for her cause. Born into the world of racing, Herbert ‘Bertie’ Jones loved horses; they were his life. His remarkable skill led to him becoming the King’s jockey and the public’s hero. During the Derby of 1913, a woman throws herself in front of his horse. She dies and he is injured. Herbert feels haunted by the woman he feels responsible for killing. By finding her, he finds himself.

Reviews:

The Sun: "This wonderful tale is a fab read." **** thebookbag.co.uk: "... a book which can be read on two levels. Firstly, it's a wonderful story. Lesley Gray has lightly fictionalised the life of Bertie Jones, remaining broadly true to the facts but occasionally adjusting events and timings to suit her story and conflating or inventing characters. At the heart of the story is fact. Jones comes brilliantly to life, as does the time - the years between the turn of the century and the start of the First World War when so much was changing." **** Amazon.com reviewer: "Well-crafted tale of a forgotten time in history ... Ms. Gray does a grand job at giving us a hero we can really root for while painting a historical backdrop that is at once grim and sympathetic. The image of suffragettes being force-fed is not one that's likely to be erased from recollection anytime soon. ****